


Perfectly Imperfect

by FullmetalSunshine (Baekhanded)



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types
Genre: Christmas, Christmas AU, Christmas Tree, Decorating, M/M, Modern AU, decoration, edward loves decorating, therefore the house is a christmas nightmare, tree - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 01:35:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21964807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baekhanded/pseuds/FullmetalSunshine
Summary: Edward wants to find the perfect tree, Roy would just like hot chocolate.
Relationships: Edward Elric/Roy Mustang
Comments: 6
Kudos: 44
Collections: FMA Gift Exchange 2019





	Perfectly Imperfect

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kotosk (Kotosk)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kotosk/gifts).



> This essentially boils down to Roy is very whiny, but very in love.

If there was one thing to be said about Edward Elric, it was that he went big with his gestures. A lot of the time, one was just expected to go along with his flights of fancy. The holidays were not one of these times. To an extent, at least. 

He was allowed to do whatever he wished, so long as it was with carefully pre-selected decorations because contrary to the little blonde’s belief, gargoyles were  _ not  _ appropriate for every season. 

Roy had come home to more than one occasion to his vertically challenged boyfriend using tables and books as stools and ladders. Ed would stare at him for ten seconds, string lights making his eyes sparkle. But instead of being an ethereal sight (which, Roy could admit, it really really was) it mostly just reminded Roy of a naughty imp, caught in the act. Or to Al, a cat that maintained eye contact while knocking an expensive vase off a counter. 

This year though, this year the trouble came when Ed decided they needed a tree. Not just any tree; they need the  _ perfect  _ tree. 

“Are you sure you want to go out there, in this weather, and find a tree just to drag it into the house? Not to mention we’ll have to decorate it too.” Roy tried, hoping Ed’s aversion to the cold and snow would be on his side today. 

Ed did pause, but only for a moment as he hopped off a stack of three thick books on the coffee table, right into Roy’s arms. He pressed a quick kiss to Roy’s nose, then settled onto his feet and looked up at him, eyes brilliant and determined.

“I’m positive, no amount of snow is gonna stop me! Al and I were talkin’ today and we remembered how we used to decorate. I’ll admit it used to be with like, paper garlands and popcorn on string and any little thing Al and I were forced to make in school, but there was always a tree.” And really, how could Roy deny him honoring the memory of his mother? He wasn’t a monster. 

“Alright, tomorrow morning, we’ll go find a tree, I think there’s a place selling them a few blocks away.” Roy couldn’t stop the warmth filling his chest as Ed beamed at him.

“No tree farm Roy, we gotta go into the woods to get a good one!” Roy didn’t have a chance to process let alone change Ed’s mind as he quickly turned and hopped up the stairs. Presumably to continue wrapping things in lights and garlands and tinsel.

_ Where are we gonna find a forest to get a tree? _

  
  


\---

  
  


Roy needn’t have worried. (If that’s what you could call his existential dread at the prospect of going into the  _ wilderness _ for a  _ tree _ .) Ed knew exactly where they needed to go, how to get there and how to keep Roy distracted enough that he didn’t think too deeply about what they were doing and accidently drive them off the side of the tiny, winding mountain road they were scooting up now.

“Are you sure this is what you want? It was cold enough where we actually lived, it’s gonna be beyond snowy up here.” Roy tried once more, a last ditch effort.

Ed laughed, and oh wasn’t that a wonderful noise? “I’m sure you drama queen, I’m prepared for anything, and I know what we’re in for. This is what we used to do! Maybe not this exact mountain, but we’d scale one near home and there were so many trees. It’ll be cold but unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. It’s like we’re the only people in the world.” 

Ed’s eyes sparkled, and Roy was screwed before, but now it was settled. He’d do anything to keep that smile on Edward’s face. Roy would brave even a blizzard if it meant Edward was happy.

Decision made and determination at ten, Roy steadily made his way up, up, up the mountain and an hour later saw them in a small mountain village. Roy was honestly surprised people lived up here. He certainly wouldn’t even dream of it. 

At least they have a diner with hot chocolate. If their day didn’t end with a cup of warmth in his hands Roy would truly know he had been a serial puppy murderer in his past life. 

Roy found a place nearer the uninhabited woods to park and he and Edward got out of the car. The air was blisteringly cold, and Roy wasn’t surprised when he looked over and could only see two golden eyes peeking between layers of hats and scarves. He could tell they were smiling. He gave a small laugh, grabbed the axe, and off the pair went to find the perfect tree. 

  
  


\---

  
  


Roy couldn’t feel his fingers. Or his legs. His toes had long since been sacrificed and his ankles and calves were on the short list. He had seen so many trees.  _ So many trees _ . They all looked the same, or damn near the same to him, plus he was pretty sure there was no way in hell any of them would fit in their house, but still Ed trudged on. At least he made a small, body sized trench for Roy to drift through. He had spent the last hour debating with himself ways in which Ed was keeping warm. Roy had touched metal in snowy weather before, he didn’t know how Ed was still walking.

Maybe his anger kept him warm. If his muttering and hyperactive head jerks were anything to go by he was  _ seething _ . 

“None of these are good enough, where are all the  _ good  _ trees?” Ed almost screamed. Or it was quiet enough that regular volume just sounded like a scream.

“Ed, darling, light of my life. What does the perfect tree even look like?” Roy’s voice was as miserable as he felt.

Ed huffed, “It’s not a  _ look _ it’s a  _ feeling _ ! I don’t  _ know _ what it looks like, I just know I'll know when I see it.” 

It made no sense, but little did when Edward was in a mood like this.

“Should we find a way to make camp? Will this be our bed for the night?” He couldn’t help but ask.

The poisonous look Ed shot him almost warmed him up, almost.

“Shut up, you can go back to the car if you’re so miserable but I'm not leaving until I find what I’m looking for. I  _ know _ it’s out here, I can feel it…” Ed’s voice started in anger and frustration but ended almost a whisper. His determination was still high, strong but he was losing faith in himself.

Roy just couldn’t have that, even if the little goblin had him out here freezing his feet off. He took the few painfully frozen steps and wrapped his arms around the bundle of knit fabric and pulled him close. He rested his chin on the knitted hat, burying his nose in the pompom and reveling in the warmth it provided.

“You’ll find it. I believe in you. Once you put that brilliant mind to something, you always succeed. Let me be dramatic, but don’t you give up on yourself.” 

He felt Edward’s mitten-clad hands grip his coat, felt that small nose dig into his collarbone even through what had to be seven layers of fabric. He felt what had to be a nuzzle and knew Ed had taken the encouragement.

They held each other for awhile, the warmth returning to Roy’s extremities from the sheer force of love alone. When he inevitably pulled away, he pressed a kiss to the tip of Ed’s nose, and an hour later they were stood in front of a tree.

“This.” Was all Ed said.

It was nothing like the others. It wasn’t nearly as tall, or wide. Some parts were sparse of needles, and the trunk of the tree itself was bent and crooked, some branches sticking out further than others. It looked more than a little wonky.

Roy tilted his head this way and that, “We passed by tons of other trees that were more picturesque than this, are you sure?” 

Ed pulled his scarf down, revealing a brilliant bright smile. He held his hand out and Roy handed off the axe, “It’s perfect.”

The tree wasn’t too thick, it only took them each a few swings to get the tree to tilt, then fall. Ed stabilized the fall so they wouldn’t lose more needles than necessary. 

They had their pre-dug trenches to follow and get back to the car, Ed seemed to wander in a pretty straight forward way so it took much less time to get back than it had to get there in the first place. 

Getting it on and securing it to the car was a completely different story, it took a lot of carefully tied knots and Roy was sure Ed would try to stick half out of the car to hold on to it on the way home, but he wasn’t going to fuss about that now.

For now it was set, and things were perfect. 

“I think you’ve more than put in your time for being a good boyfriend, lemme repay you with warm drinks and dinner.” Ed shot Roy a brilliant look, and again, truly Roy was only human.

They drove to the diner, and Ed made good on his promise of warmth from food. Any amount of trudging through the snow was worth it when he was warming his fingers with a warm cup.

“You know,” Roy started, a teasing glint in his eye, “galavanting out here all day has frozen much more than my fingers.” 

Ed’s eyebrows shot up but his mouth slowly turned into a grin, “I’ll just have to do something about that, when we get home.” 

Roy wasn’t really expecting that response, but it did make him hurry to get them home.

(But not so much as to be reckless on those winding roads. He’d like to make it home in one piece. And Alive. Alive would be good.)

  
  


\---

Getting the tree into the house proved much easier than finding and getting it onto the car. Ed clears the way and Roy pulls it in and they set it up together. Roy isn’t quite sure how to straighten it and stands back, head tilting more and more to the side. Ed joins him moments later, grin wide and proud at their crooked haunted looking tree.

“Why this one, Edward?” Roy couldn’t hold back any longer, he had to ask as he began unwrapping his boyfriend of all his scarves.

Ed just smiles up at him, “It’s imperfection makes it perfect. It’s not whole, and it’s certainly not straight, but it’s proud and strong and beautiful. It’s ours. It’s perfect for us.” 

Roy couldn’t help the grin, cupping Edwards face he tilted it up and pressed a kiss to surprisingly not chapped lips, “I see my sappiness is rubbing off on you.” 

Ed hummed and wrapped his arms around Roy’s waist, “Don’t tell, I have an image to uphold.”

Roy laughed, “Your secret’s safe with me.”

Ed leaned up and pressed several kisses to Roy’s mouth and chin, “C’mon, I promised I’d make up for keepin’ you out in the cold. We can decorate our perfectly imperfect tree tomorrow, I think a bath and bed is in order.”

Roy hummed and kissed Edward back, “That sounds perfect.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed!! It's dumb and cheesy but made with love <3


End file.
